Family HENICOCORIDAE

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Family HENICOCORIDAE

Compiler and date details

15 February 2002

Introduction

The Henicocoridae are a monotypic family of idiostoloids, restricted to the cool temperate forests of the Otway Ranges of southern Victoria (Schuh & Slater 1995) and south coastal New South Wales.

Woodward (1968) described Henicocoris monteithi and erected a new subfamily of Lygaeidae, the Henicocorinae, for its inclusion. He discussed possible relationships within the Lygaeoidea, postulating closest affinities with the Idiostolidae and Oxycarenidae. His conclusions were based mostly on similarities of the abdominal trichobothria and the lack of a spermatheca. Henry (1997) raised the group to family rank and established its sister-group relationship with the Idiostolidae, thereby expanding the definition of the superfamily Idiostoloidea.

Knowledge of the biology of henicocorids is limited. They have been collected at night running on fallen logs and on the ground in cool temperate rainforests.

Diagnosis

Henicocorids are elongate-ovoid in body shape. The head is porrect and the bucculae are short. Ocelli are present. Antennae and labium are 4-segmented. The pronotum is transverse and trapeziform. Metathoracic glands are reduced, with evaporative areas and peritreme present. Fore femora are not incrassate and the tarsi are 3-segmented. The hemelytra are coleopteroid and the hind wings are absent. The abdominal sternal sutures are complete, reaching the lateral margins. All abdominal spiracles are ventral in position. The abdominal trichobothrial pattern is unique: sterna III and IV with one submedial trichobothrium, sternum V lacking trichobothria, and sterna VI and VII with two lateral trichobothria caudal to the spiracles. The connexiva are complete, with segmented inner laterotergites. Female sternum VII is cleft and the ovipositor is laciniate. Spermatheca is absent. Males are known but undescribed. (Woodward 1968)